When to Plant New Potatoes Potatoes are best started in the cool season. Tubers form best when soil temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees F.(16-21 C.). The two periods when to plant new potatoes are spring and summer. Plant early season potatoes in March or early April and late season crops are started in July. Early season plantings that sprout can be damaged by rogue freezes but will bounce right back as long as soils stay warm....

Did you know, for instance, that the leaves, flowers, and roots of dandelion are edible or that the dandelion has purported medicinal properties? Bees and other pollinators also rely on them for a nectar source early in the growing season. It’s true! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s find out how to grow dandelion seeds and when to sow dandelions! Propagating Dandelion from Seed It is said that there are over 250 species of dandelion in existence, though the variety known as “common dandelion” (Taraxacum officinale) is the one that is most likely populating your lawn and garden....

Landscaping Beneath Oaks Few trees add more character to a backyard than mature oaks. They anchor the soil, offer shade in hot summers, and also provide room and board for birds and other wildlife. Mature oaks also take up a lot of space. Their spreading branches cast such deep shade in summer that you may wonder what will grow under oak trees if anything. The best way to address this question is to look at oak woodlands in the wild....

Will Plants Recover from Rain Damage? Heavy rain damage on plants may leave them looking like they’ve been flattened to within an inch of their lives, but if you take a closer look at stems and branches, you’ll notice something amazing — most of those rain damaged parts are bent, not broken. Your plants may look terrible, but their flexibility saved them from a monstrous rain storm. If instead they remained rigid in the face of such an intense beating, their tissues would have broken or cracked, causing important transportation pathways to be severed....

With minimal planning, even small containers of flowering annuals or perennials can serve as a resource to this beautiful species of butterfly. How to Attract Monarch Butterflies Attracting monarch butterflies is much similar to attracting other pollinators to the garden. Including the right plants is key. Beneficial insects are attracted to flowers that provide a steady source of nectar throughout the growing season. This is no exception in the creation of a monarch butterfly garden....

Potted Marigold Plants Any type of marigold can be grown in containers, but keep in mind that some types, such as African marigolds, can reach heights of up to 3 feet (1 m.) and may be too large for standard containers. Most gardeners like to plant smaller container grown marigolds. For example, French marigolds are small, bushy plants that reach heights of only 6 to 18 inches (15 to 20 cm....

Can You Grow Nemesia in a Pot? Annual plants really round out the spring and summer garden. They provide a real “pick-me-up” as you wait for perennials to come to full flower. Nemesia has blooms that resemble tiny snapdragons or lobelia blooms and come in many bright colors. Try using nemesia in planters, either en masse or mixed with other annuals. Keeping nemesia in a pot allows you to control where you use the plants and in high heat regions, makes it easy to move them at midday to a slightly cooler location....

What are Pea Weevils? Pea weevil pests are small, black to brownish insects with a white zigzag running across the back. Bruchus pisorum overwinter in plant debris in the soil and then lay their eggs on the pea pods. Pea weevil larvae hatch and burrow into the pods and feed on the developing peas while adults munch on the blossoms. The resulting pea weevil damage on the pea crop renders it unfit for sale in the commercial sector and unappetizing for the home gardener....

What is Soil Compaction? Soil compaction occurs when the soil is dense and closely packed together with minimal poor space. Healthy soil should be half soil—sand, silt, minerals, clay, organic matter—and half poor space. There are several issues with trying to grow plants in compacted soil: Tilling and digging in compacted soil is difficult. Plants can’t develop as robust a root system as they would in looser soil.The soil doesn’t absorb water as well, and it tends to pool....

Common Plum Tree Diseases The most common plum tree diseases include black knot, plum pocket, brown rot, plum pox virus, perennial canker, and bacterial leaf spot. Black Knot Plum Disease Black knot is a plum tree problem that begins as a velvet green knot in spring then turns black and swollen. Black rot may girdle limbs and in severe cases form on the tree’s trunk. This plum tree problem gets progressively worse without treatment and may halt useable fruit production....

Hibiscus Propagation from Hibiscus Cuttings Both hardy and tropical hibiscus are propagated from cuttings. Hibiscus cuttings are normally the preferred way of propagating hibiscus because a cutting will grow to be an exact copy of the parent plant. When using hibiscus cuttings to propagate hibiscus, start by taking the cutting. The cutting should be taken from new growth or softwood. Softwood is branches on the hibiscus that have not yet matured....

Is Pruning of Peony Necessary? Is pruning of peony necessary, and if so, how do you go about peony pruning? In fact, peonies need very little pruning, but as with any shrub, pruning helps to promote good overall health and the control of insects and diseases. Peony pruning can help maintain the shape of the plant. When to Trim Peonies Herbaceous peonies are tender-stemmed plants that die back naturally in fall and regrow again in spring....

Identifying Purslane Plants Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a succulent plant that will grow outward in a circle shape close to the ground. The fleshy red stems will have small green paddle shaped fleshy leaves. Purslane flowers are star-shaped and yellow in appearance. Purslane can be found in clear uncultivated or recently cultivated soil. How to Get Rid of Purslane Purslane weed is best dealt with while the plant is still young....

Raised Bed Pumpkins Pumpkins are a type of winter squash which grow on vines that can reach 20 feet (6 m.) in length. Varieties of pumpkins range in size from those small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand to record breaking giants weighing over a ton. When garden space is limited, which is often the case with raised bed methods, choosing an appropriately sized variety is the first step for successful pumpkin cultivation....

Mango Tree Diseases Mangos are tropical and sub-tropical trees that thrive in regions with warm temperatures. Indigenous to India and southeast Asia, trees are particularly susceptible to two diseases of mango: anthracnose and powdery mildew. Both of these fungal diseases attack emerging panicles, flowers, and fruit. Of the two diseases, anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) afflicts mangos most severely. In the case of anthracnose, mango disease symptoms appear as black, sunken, irregularly shaped lesions that grow resulting in blossom blight, leaf spotting, fruit staining, and eventual rot....

Why are Leaves Turning Red on Plum Tree? Rust and root rot are the most common reasons for plum leaves turning red. One cause of red plum leaves is rust, a fungal disease that results in bright yellow spots on the leaves with red spores on the undersides. It can be treated by spraying fungicide monthly leading up to harvest if the outbreak is early, or once after harvest if the outbreak comes later....

Root Rot in Iris Root root in iris is also known as soft rot, and if your irises have ever had it, you know why. The leaves become soft, and the rhizome root grows mushy. Iris root rot is a caused by Erwinia carotovora, a bacterial phytopathogen. It usually gets inside the rhizome through an opening created by some kind of injury. Any pest could provide this entry, including borers, slugs, snails, beetle larvae or even rough use of tools....

What is Stenting? Propagating rose bushes through stenting is a quick process that comes from Holland (Netherlands). Stemming from two Dutch words – “stekken,” which means to strike a cutting, and “enten,” which means to graft – rose stenting is a process where the “scion” (a young shoot or twig cut for grafting or rooting) material and rootstock are joined together before rooting. Essentially, grafting the scion onto an under stock then rooting and healing the graft and rootstock at the same time....

Roundleaf Toothcup Info Aquatic Rotala is native to Asia where it grows in swamps, along riverbanks, on the edges of rice paddies, and other moist locations. Aquatic Rotala plants grow in aquariums of nearly any size and are most attractive in small groupings. However, the soft, fragile stems may be damaged by large or active fish. Plants are also known as roundleaf toothcup, dwarf Rotala, pink Rotala, or pink baby tears....

What is Sedge? At first glance, one might assume sedges are grasses. They are not and are held in the genus Carex. Sedges span both native varieties and hybridized versions. They are useful in moist areas, such as around ponds, but there are also types of sedge that thrive in dry regions. Both ornamental and native sedge plants produce tiny seeds which feed some bird species, and many animals use the foliage to line and create nests....